Matt Shipman

Aug 2, 2013

Researchers Create ‘Soft Robotic’ Devices Using Water-Based Gels

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating devices out of a water-based hydrogel material that can be patterned, folded and used to manipulate objects. The technique holds promise for use in “soft robotics” and biomedical applications. 

Jul 26, 2013

Researchers Find New Way to Create ‘Gradients’ for Understanding Molecular Interactions

Scientists use tools called gradients to understand how molecules interact in biological systems. Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating biomolecular gradients that is both simpler than existing techniques and that creates additional surface characteristics that allow scientists to monitor other aspects of molecular behavior. 

Jul 25, 2013

Researchers Get Better Metrics on Laser Potential of Key Material

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed more accurate measurements of how efficiently a polymer called MEH-PPV amplifies light, which should advance efforts to develop a new generation of lasers and photonic devices. 

Jul 18, 2013

New Technique for Assessing Calorie Absorption Sheds Light on Genetic Driver of Obesity

Researchers from Harvard, NC State and five other universities have found a specific genetic on-off switch associated with obesity in both mice and humans, raising the long-term possibility of developing new treatments for obesity. As part of the study, NC State researchers had to develop a new technique for assessing calorie absorption in small laboratory animals, which… 

Jul 18, 2013

Irish Potato Famine-Causing Pathogen Even More Virulent Now

The plant pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s lives on today with a different genetic blueprint and an even larger arsenal of weaponry to harm and kill plants. 

Jul 17, 2013

Injectable ‘Smart Sponge’ Holds Promise for Controlled Drug Delivery

Researchers have developed a drug delivery technique for diabetes treatment in which a sponge-like material surrounds an insulin core. The sponge expands and contracts in response to blood sugar levels to release insulin as needed. The technique could also be used for targeted drug delivery to cancer cells. 

Jul 16, 2013

New Model to Improve Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication for ‘Intelligent Transportation’

Imagine a transportation system where vehicles communicate directly with each other in real time, giving drivers warnings about traffic delays, allowing a single driver to control multiple vehicles or routing vehicles around hazardous road conditions. Those are all aspects of the “intelligent transportation” concept. And researchers have developed a model to improve the clarity of… 

Jul 15, 2013

Study Finds Clues on How to Keep Kids Engaged With Educational Games

If you want teams of students to stay engaged while playing educational games, you might want them to switch seats pretty often. That’s one finding from a pilot study that evaluated how well middle school students were able to pay attention to game-based learning tasks. 

Jul 10, 2013

Wolverine’s Claws and the Future of Metal Alloys (Snikt!)

The metal that makes Wolverine’s claws virtually indestructible may be a reality sooner than you think. If you know anything about the superhero Wolverine, you know that he has both retractable claws and a mutant power that allows him to heal from virtually any injury. In the comics, a Canadian government project called Weapon X… 

Jul 9, 2013

Researchers Build 3-D Structures Out of Liquid Metal

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology and techniques to create free-standing structures made of liquid metal at room temperature. 

Jul 8, 2013

New Metallic Cushioning Material Offers Big Benefits Over Other Protective Materials

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new metallic cushioning material that is lighter, stronger and more flexible than sheet metal and more heat- and chemical-resistant than plastic or other polymer-based cushioning materials. Potential applications include automobile body panels, the wing edges of airplanes, suitcases, helmets and cases for computers and other electronic… 

Jul 2, 2013

Companies Look at Wrong Things When Using Facebook to Screen Job Applicants

Employers are increasingly using Facebook to screen job applicants and weed out candidates they think have undesirable traits. But a new study from North Carolina State University shows that those companies may have a fundamental misunderstanding of online behavior and, as a result, may be eliminating desirable job candidates. 

Jul 1, 2013

Is This Mouse a Pirate?

Did a field researcher somehow capture a pirate mouse? No! This raffish rodent is part of a study that is evaluating how harvesting plants for use in biofuels is affecting ecosystems. The photographer, NC State Ph.D. student Sarah Fritts, took the photo – and explains what we’re looking at. “Renewable energy likely will become the dominant… 

Jul 1, 2013

Teaching a Computer to Play ‘Concentration’ Advances Security, Understanding of the Human Mind

Computer science researchers have programmed a computer to play the game Concentration (also known as Memory). The work could help improve computer security – and improve our understanding of how the human mind works. 

Jun 27, 2013

Art Installation? Or Research Project?

Sometimes science presents us with pretty fantastic images. When I saw this photo, from a research team led by NC State’s Nick Haddad, I had to find out what these students were doing. Here’s his explanation: “Understanding dispersal is difficult. Understanding dispersal of little things, like small insects or seeds, is nearly impossible. This photo is…